Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Where are we?
I spare a glance at Torben. He’s sweating despite the cold, his breath coming in ragged bursts. I know he’s giving it everything he has. I’m grateful, though I won’t say it out loud, lest it goes to his head.
In a few moments, we will step through that gash in the fabric of worlds and find ourselves back where we belong—or at least where I belong. My heart twists at the thought that I still don’t know what awaits us on the other side. But uncertainty is better than stagnation, better than staying in a frozen world with no answers and far too many humans.
I glance at Torben. “Are you certain that if we walk through here, we’ll end up in Tuonela?”
“Where else could we possibly end up?” he asks, wriggling his nose.
In other dimensions and universes and timelines, I can’t help but think, though of course I don’t voice these thoughts. It would look foolish for a God to fear realms he might not be aware of. Besides, Torben has been sneaking into Tuonela for ages, and before that, Shamans such as Väinämöinen had been doing the same.
“Very well,” I say.
I can’t help but hold my breath as I step through the portal, leading the way.
It immediately feels like I’m passing through a thin membrane of ice-cold water. For a disorienting moment, I’m suspended between worlds, caught in a swirl of dark shapes and flickering lights. There’s a pulling sensation, like something has snared me by the chest and yanked me forward. A heartbeat later, I stagger out onto solid ground—if it can be called that—and nearly lose my footing.
All around, the soldiers spill through, stumbling and blinking. I glimpse Torben emerging as well, his worn face twisted with concentration, still chanting under his breath. The portal crackles and wavers at the edges of my vision, staying open as more and more troops pile through.
I’ve returned to the Underworld, but it’s not the one I remember. We stand on a vast, empty plain beneath a sky of smudged ink. Snow drifts lazily from above, but these are not gentle, familiar flakes; they seem to glow faintly before settling onto a land of eerie stillness.
With a vague pang of horror, I realize we’re at the fucking Star Swamp of all places. The land is a frozen bog stretching in all directions, its surface dark and half-reflective like black glass. But it’s not glass—my boots crunch and then sink slightly as I shift my weight. The swamp beneath us is not water or soil; it’s Oblivion itself, cosmic emptiness suffused with specks of starlight. When I peer down at my feet, I can see tiny pinpoints of light scattered in a liquid darkness that seems both impossibly deep and startlingly close. It’s as if I’m standing atop a shard of fallen sky. If anyone slips through the surface, they won’t find mud or water. No, they’ll find nothingness, the endless void where souls float among the stars forever. The very thought of it makes my spine crawl. As the God of Death, this is the place I should be protecting my people from.
I look around and motion for everyone to stay still as the last soldiers come through the portal, fanning out in all directions before the shimmering doorway snaps shut with a thunderclap, leaving no sign of it behind.
“Listen up,” I tell them. “It’s imperative that you follow my instructions. Whatever you do, do not fall in the swamp, or you will be lost forever.”
The soldiers huddle closer, their rifles clinking. They look around with vacant eyes, only faintly aware they should be shocked. My mental influence is still in place, yet I can sense their growing confusion. I need to assert control before panic sets in.
“Steady,” I say, projecting my will. They stiffen slightly, their minds docile again. It’s harder here, though I can’t tell if it’s because they’re in Tuonela or because I’m in the Star Swamp. This land was Louhi’s domain; of course it would not welcome me back easily.
I turn and look over the landscape. Snow is falling, dusting the black swamp with a pale powder before it sinks into the darkness, mirroring my feelings. In the distance, I see the faint silhouette I saw earlier: Castle Synti, Louhi’s palace. She chose a wretched spot to build her seat of power, perched on a rise of jagged stone, its spires dark and icy. I know there are halls inside filled with old weapons, relics, magic tools. If we can reach her palace, we might find what we need—a vantage point, supplies, maybe even secrets to turn the tide. But getting there is another matter. The swamp stretches for miles, and every step is treacherous.
With a sigh, I gesture toward the distant castle. “That’s where we must go,” I say to Torben. My breath puffs white in the chill. “That’s Louhi’s old stronghold. If we can get inside, we can gather ourselves, find what we need, and plan.”